Free Web NovelChapter 217: Patting therapy.
Elias wanted to groan. Sienna had very creative ways of bringing trouble to his door. He could already see trouble at the wedding. Pans swinging. Words exchanged. Beast men insulted. Trending on BeastNet. And yet, he insisted on taking her. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
He sat still in his chair, expecting to talk her out of mischief. Instead, she pressed on the button on the arm of the chair, tilting it back with a soft creak, until he was fully horizontal.
Sienna," he said slowly, ears flicking in suspicion. "Why are you lowering me like this? I have no plans to sleep, just yet. If you want to...." he stopped and cleared his throat. In his mind, he finished his sentence, if you want to fool around, we can go home.
"For the sake of my mental strength," she declared, puffing her chest, "Like the time when we threw the ball around. I must pat your belly, ten times."
Elias blinked. His ears twitched in minor excitement. "My belly? Ten times! And here I thought throwing the ball around was the most ridiculous way of gaining mental strength to exist." He frowned. "You do realize that this is a vulnerable position. I have never exposed my belly to anyone. Not my parents, grandparents or siblings."
Sienna leaned over him, eyes sparkling with determination. "I am sure you did it as a child, but you don’t remember. Now, arms apart, belly out. Show me the fluff pillow."
He crossed his arms over his pillow, shaking his head. His eyes had a look or reluctance. "One, it is not a fluff pillow, it is skin and muscles. Two, exposing your midsection is how you end up dead."
She rolled her eyes. "I am your wife. I have been with you through two mental breaks when you were most vulnerable and you came out alive. I am sure you will survive some pats. In fact, you will find it comfortable. By the time I ma finished, you will be begging for more."
He snorted. "Maybe you were earning my trust," he narrowed his eyes playfully, "setting me up for the final kill. Not a stab to the abdomen, but a live stream which will be the end of all my dignity."
Sienna laughed. "I wish it were that simple. This is private, I sent everyone away. We must hurry before the cubs return."
He grimaced. "Maybe we should wait for night to fall." frёewebnoѵēl.com
She pulled his arms away from his belly. "No. You have been gone for so long. What if the king gives you another mission that will take you away from home for a longer period...like a month? What if one of us gets the plague and dies? We have to make use of every opportunity to finish the task."
As his hands fell to his sides, her wondered who was giving her these ridiculous tasks. They made no sense! Everything about her made no sense. He knew she would not drop it until she got what she wanted.
With a sigh, he surrendered. "Fine. But no laughing. If you laugh, I will assign Elder Tomlin to work in your office. You think he is bad now, wait until you have to deal with him all day."
She grinned. "Alas! You have finally found my weakness. You have yourself a deal."
She placed her hands gently on his abdomen. He stiffened as though bracing for battle. Elias even squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
"Relax," she whispered, "This is all for science and sanity." She declared, unbuttoning his shirt. "I promise, it will be therapeutic. Give it a few seconds and you will soon feel at ease."
Her palms began to pat rhythmically like a drummer testing a new beast. Elias clenched his toes, opened his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyes darted toward the ceiling, as if searching for divine rescue.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "I am the fox lord, feared across continents. My belly is not a cushion or plush!"
Sienna chuckled. "Do you know how many people would pay good money to be in my shoes right now? To touch your belly, to feel your skin. How are you this tan in winter? You look like you are just coming back from a summer vacation."
"Not every part of this empire experiences winter." He replied through soft, slow breaths.
He started out enduring grimly, jaw clenched, waiting for a pinch or prod. But Sienna had been right, he was beginning to feel at ease. The tension in his shoulders eased. Against his will, he gave into the feeling of comfort.
Sienna noticed and smirked. "See? You are already calmer. Admit it."
"I admit nothing," he said, though his ears betrayed him.
She patted harder, then softer, experimenting like a scientist. "Next time, we should do this while you are in full fox form. If it feels anything like touching your tails, then it will be fun. From now on, when your council of elders gives you a hard time, we will use this patting therapy to make you feel better. After dealing with them this week, I understand why you are forced to be cold all the time. They complain a lot, and barely do anything. Maybe once upon a time they contributed to the tribe, but that time has long passed." She cleared her throat. "Wait...don’t respond. We are still in the midst of Belly patting therapy. Don’t tell the kids about how good it feels or soon, everyone will want sessions."
He yawned. "I agree on that. If Ali learns about it, she will expect daily sessions, twice a day."
"If that happens, I expect to be paid." She joked.
Sienna heard the familiar chime in her mind. The system had recorded the patting session as successful.
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The patting continued, despite the system taking count of the patting session. She wanted to see if she could finish two or three sessions today. Why waste the opportunity when it was available?
Sienna pretended to take notes: "Subject. Elias Veythar: skeptical, then suspiciously relaxed. Conclusion: belly patting increases marital harmony by 1oo%."
He rolled his eyes.
"Subject Elias Veythar: Rolled eyes at exactly 11:32 A.M, very suspicious behavior. Then he smiled, even more suspicious. Conclusion: belly patting increases marital joy."
He groaned. "Stop turning me into your research project."
"Too late," she said. "You are my personal case study, I have a marriage certificate to prove it. I will publish a paper some day: ’The psychological effects of patting cold fox lords."
He covered his face with one hand.
"Do you think Lina will publish it in her gossip column?" She asked.
Small footsteps rushed into the office, making Sienna panic. "She is here, button up before Ali sees us, Hurry!"
